French Film ‘Ce Soir-La’ Using Le Bataclan Attack for Plot Postponed After Outcry

France's France 2, a national public broadcaster, has decided to postpone the upcoming film Ce Soir-La (aka That Night) after outcry from the public about using the Le Bataclan attack as a central piece of the plot. The film is actually a romantic drama about a fictional French woman and a former Taliban member who form a relationship after rescuing survivors from the attack.

After word of the film started to spread, a Change.org petition was launched by Claire Peltier, the companion of a Bataclan victim killed in the attack, with over 39,000 people signing the petition to protest the making of the film. Peltier stated that the airing of the film would be "too painful," and asked that France 2 reconsider the film "out of respect for those who were lost and injured." She added, "We are scandalized that such a film could see the light of day so soon after such a violent event."

According to Deadline, France 2 issued a statement saying "The film, which is still being edited, has not been seen by the channel’s management. France 2 has made the decision to postpone this project until the production has widely consulted all victims' associations."

In total, 89 people were killed on Nov. 13 when terrorists barged in to the French concert venue where Eagles of Death Metal had been performing and opened fire on the crowd.

Fanny Rondeau, head of fiction at France 2, had previously told RTL that the idea behind the movie was “not to take head-on the attacks.” She told the outlet that the director, “went to see and consult many people.” She added, “The idea is not at all to be a voyeur or anything like that, on the attacks, not at all… I think we mustn’t have taboos… It’s a way of talking about our world today.”

While the film would be a fictional movie with the attack as a backdrop to the story, there has been a documentary about the event as Eagles of Death Metal: Nos Amis (Our Friends) premiered on HBO following the tragic 2015 incident.

There have been other major terrorist tragedies of note that have inspired movies as well, with the events of 9/11 working their way into film, with the films World Trade Center and United 93 both arriving in 2006, five years after the initial events.